U.S. patent application number 16/149083 was filed with the patent office on 2019-05-23 for gas turbine including external cooling system and method of cooling the same.
The applicant listed for this patent is DOOSAN HEAVY INDUSTRIES & CONSTRUCTION CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Geon Hwan Cho, Dong Hwa Kim, Dong Kwon Kim, Jong Seon Kim.
Application Number | 20190153950 16/149083 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 64277575 |
Filed Date | 2019-05-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20190153950 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kim; Dong Hwa ; et
al. |
May 23, 2019 |
GAS TURBINE INCLUDING EXTERNAL COOLING SYSTEM AND METHOD OF COOLING
THE SAME
Abstract
Disclosed herein is a gas turbine and a method of cooling the
same. A cooling air supply passage of extracting air out of a
compressor of the gas turbine and diverting the air to the outside
is formed, and vanes and blades of a turbine are cooled by such
cooling air supply passage that does not pass through a central
shaft of the gas turbine. Consequently, the consumption of cooling
air may be reduced while cooling efficiency is not affected, and
the flow rate of cooling air may be more easily controlled.
Inventors: |
Kim; Dong Hwa; (Seoul,
KR) ; Kim; Dong Kwon; (Daejeon, KR) ; Kim;
Jong Seon; (Daejeon, KR) ; Cho; Geon Hwan;
(Gimhae-si, KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
DOOSAN HEAVY INDUSTRIES & CONSTRUCTION CO., LTD. |
Changwon-si |
|
KR |
|
|
Family ID: |
64277575 |
Appl. No.: |
16/149083 |
Filed: |
October 1, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F02C 7/18 20130101; F01D
25/12 20130101; F05D 2260/213 20130101; F01D 5/081 20130101; F05D
2260/606 20130101; F01D 5/18 20130101; F05D 2260/232 20130101; F02C
7/185 20130101; F05D 2260/14 20130101; F01D 9/065 20130101; F01D
25/08 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F02C 7/18 20060101
F02C007/18; F01D 25/08 20060101 F01D025/08 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 21, 2017 |
KR |
10-2017-0155403 |
Claims
1. A gas turbine comprising: a casing; a compressor in the casing
and configured to draw air thereinto and compress the air to a high
pressure; a combustor configured to mix fuel with the air
compressed by the compressor and combust a mixture of the fuel and
the air; a turbine configured to rotate a plurality of turbine
blades using high-temperature and high-pressure combustion gas
discharged from the combustor and generate electricity; a plurality
of external cooling passages configured to extract air from
different positions of the compressor to an outside of the casing,
and supply cooling air to the turbine without having the cooling
air pass through a central shaft of the turbine; and an outlet
cooling passage configured to extract air from an outlet of the
compressor and supply cooling air to the turbine without having the
cooling air pass through the central shaft of the turbine.
2. The gas turbine according to claim 1, wherein the turbine
comprises the plurality of turbine blades, and a plurality of
turbine vanes fixed to the casing and arranged alternately with the
turbine blades, and wherein the outlet cooling passage comprises an
outlet-outside cooling passage configured to extract air from the
outlet of the compressor and supply the air to the turbine vanes,
and an outlet-inside cooling passage configured to extract air from
the outlet of the compressor and supply the air to the turbine
blades, the gas turbine further comprising at least one connection
cooling passage configured to connect corresponding cooling
passages of a pair structure having one turbine blade and one
turbine vane, which are disposed in at least one identical stage
among the turbine blades and the turbine vanes.
3. The gas turbine according to claim 2, wherein the outlet cooling
passage supplies air to a first stage turbine vane of the plurality
of turbine vanes and also to a first stage turbine blade of the
plurality of turbine blades, and wherein the plurality of external
cooling passages supply air to at least one turbine vane of the
plurality of turbine vanes other than the first stage turbine vane,
and also to at least one of turbine blades of stages, in which the
connection cooling passage is not formed, among the plurality of
turbine blades other than the first stage turbine blade.
4. The gas turbine according to claim 3, wherein the outlet cooling
passage comprises: an outlet-outside cooling passage configured to
supply air to the first stage turbine vane; and an outlet-inside
cooling passage configured to supply air to the first stage turbine
blade, wherein the plurality of external cooling passages comprise:
a first external cooling passage configured to supply air to a
fourth stage turbine vane and a fourth stage turbine blade; a
second external cooling passage configured to supply air to a third
stage turbine vane; and a third external cooling passage configured
to supply air to a second stage turbine vane, wherein the
connection cooling passage is formed in each of the pairs of
turbine blades and turbine vanes of the second and third
stages.
5. The gas turbine according to claim 2, wherein the outlet cooling
passage supplies air to a first stage turbine vane of the plurality
of turbine vanes and also to first and second stage turbine blades
of the plurality of turbine blades, and wherein the plurality of
external cooling passages supply air to at least one turbine vane
of the plurality of turbine vanes other than the first stage
turbine vane, and also to at least one of turbine blades of stages,
in which the connection cooling passage is not formed, among the
plurality of turbine blades other than the first and second stage
turbine blades.
6. The gas turbine according to claim 5, wherein the outlet cooling
passage comprises: an outlet-outside cooling passage configured to
supply air to the first stage turbine vane; a first outlet-inside
cooling passage configured to supply air to the first stage turbine
blade; and a second outlet-inside cooling passage configured to
supply air to the second stage turbine blade, wherein the plurality
of external cooling passages comprise: a first external cooling
passage configured to supply air to a fourth stage turbine vane and
a fourth stage turbine blade; a second external cooling passage
configured to supply air to a third stage turbine vane; and a third
external cooling passage configured to supply air to a second stage
turbine vane, wherein the connection cooling passage is formed in
the pair of turbine blade and turbine vane of the third stage.
7. The gas turbine according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of
external cooling passages extract air from respective different
positions of the compressor, and, as a stage number of a turbine
vane to which air is to be supplied increases, a distance between
the turbine and the position at which the corresponding external
cooling passage extracts the air is increased.
8. The gas turbine according to claim 2, further comprising a
cooling unit configured to cool air flowing through at least one
passage of the plurality of external cooling passages and the
outlet-inside cooling passage.
9. The gas turbine according to claim 8, wherein the cooling unit
cools air flowing through the respective passages to different
temperatures.
10. The gas turbine according to claim 4, further comprising a
cooling unit configured to cool air flowing through at least one
passage of the plurality of external cooling passages and the
outlet-inside cooling passage, the cooling unit comprising: a
second cooler disposed on the second external cooling passage; a
third cooler disposed on the third external cooling passage; and a
fourth cooler disposed on the outlet-inside cooling passage.
11. The gas turbine according to claim 10, wherein the cooling unit
further comprises a first cooler disposed on the first external
cooling passage.
12. The gas turbine according to claim 2, wherein at least one
cooling air control valve is provided on an inlet or path of each
of the plurality of external cooling passages.
13. The gas turbine according to claim 12, wherein at least one
cooling air control valve is provided on an inlet or path of each
of the outlet-outside cooling passage and the external-inside
cooling passage.
14. The gas turbine according to claim 2, wherein the connection
cooling passage extends through lower ends of the turbine blade and
the turbine vane that are disposed in an identical stage such that
air is drawn into a lower portion of the turbine blade.
15. The gas turbine according to claim 14, wherein the
outlet-inside cooling passage is formed through a lower end of the
corresponding turbine blade such that air is drawn into a lower
portion of the corresponding turbine blade.
16. The gas turbine according to claim 15, wherein a pre-swirler is
provided on at least one of a position of the first outlet-inside
cooling passage at which air is drawn into the lower portion of the
corresponding turbine blade and a position of the connection
cooling passage at which air is drawn into the lower portion of the
corresponding turbine blade.
17. The gas turbine according to claim 15, wherein a sealing member
is provided on at least one of a position of the first
outlet-inside cooling passage at which air is drawn into the lower
portion of the corresponding turbine blade and a position of the
connection cooling passage at which air is drawn into the lower
portion of the corresponding turbine blade.
18. A method of cooling a gas turbine including a casing, and a
compressor, a combustor, and a turbine which are disposed in the
casing, the method comprising: an external cooling air supply
operation of extracting air from different positions of the
compressor to an outside of the casing and supplying cooling air to
the turbine without having the cooling air pass through a central
shaft of the turbine; and an outlet cooling air supply operation of
extracting air from an outlet of the compressor and supplying
cooling air to the turbine without having the cooling air pass
through the central shaft of the turbine.
19. The method according to claim 18, wherein air supplied in the
external cooling air supply operation simultaneously cool a pair
structure having one turbine blade and one turbine vane that are
disposed in at least one identical stage.
20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the external cooling
air supply operation comprises a flow rate control operation for
controlling a flow rate of cooling air using at least one cooling
air control valve provided on an inlet or path of each of the
plurality of external cooling passages for extracting air from the
different positions of the compressor to the outside of the casing
and supplying the air to the gas turbine.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
[0001] This application claims priority to Korean Patent
Application No. 10-2017-0155403, filed on Nov. 21, 2017, the
disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
Field of the Disclosure
[0002] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a
gas turbine including an external cooling system and a method of
cooling the gas turbine, and more particularly, a gas turbine in
which a cooling air supply passage is formed to bypass the gas
turbine rather than being formed in a central shaft of the gas
turbine. This allows the vanes and blades of the gas turbine to be
cooled by a special cooling air passage so that the consumption of
cooling air may be reduced while cooling effect is not reduced, and
the flow rate of air may be more easily controlled.
Description of the Related Art
[0003] Generally, a turbine is a machine which converts energy of a
fluid such as water, gas, or steam into mechanical energy.
Typically, a turbo machine, in which a plurality of blades are
embedded around a circumferential portion of a rotating body so
that the rotating body is rotated at a high speed by impulsive
force or reactive force generated by discharging steam or gas to
the blades, is referred to as a turbine.
[0004] Such turbines are classified into a water turbine using
energy of water located at a high elevation, a steam turbine using
energy of steam, an air turbine using energy of high-pressure
compressed air, a gas turbine using energy of
high-temperature/high-pressure gas, and so forth.
[0005] The gas turbine includes a compressor, a combustor, a
turbine, and a rotor, and is operated by the principle of driving
the turbine using powerful energy generated by combusting fuel with
compressed air. Such gas turbines may be part of an electrical
generator.
[0006] With regard to this gas turbine operations, several
combustors may be provided for a single generator. In addition, a
plurality of fuel supply nozzles are provided for the plurality of
combustors. Each fuel supply nozzle ejects a mixture of fuel and
air to generate high-temperature flames. The heat and temperature
of the flames are directly transmitted to turbine blades and other
components of the generator.
[0007] Here, although each component is formed of material having
excellent thermal resistance, the expected lifetime of a particular
component may be reduced if the component is exposed to excessively
high temperatures for a long period of time. In an effort to
overcome the foregoing problem, some of the air compressed by the
compressor is supplied to the turbine blades and other components
of the generator for cooling thereof, thus preventing the
temperatures of the related components from being rapidly
increased.
[0008] With regard to this, conventional techniques have employed a
scheme in which compressed air coming out of a compressor including
a plurality of rotating bodies is supplied to turbine blades
through a tube passing through a rotor (central shaft) of a gas
turbine.
[0009] However, the conventional scheme is problematic in that flow
loss via an internal passage of the rotor of the gas turbine is
comparatively high, and cooling air consumption is increased in the
case of a gas turbine having a high turbine inlet temperature and a
high compression ratio.
[0010] Furthermore, the overall diameter of a center hole of the
rotor needs to be increased, because a space, which accommodates a
separate tube to provide cooling air, separate from an internal
space for the rotor is additionally required. Therefore, there is a
problem in that the structural design of an internal central shaft
of a generator and other devices becomes complicated.
[0011] This results in a reduction in aerodynamic efficiency of the
compressor and the gas turbine.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0012] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a gas
turbine and a cooling method thereof in which a cooling air supply
passage is formed to bypass the gas turbine rather than being
formed in a central shaft of the gas turbine, and the vanes and
blades of the gas turbine are cooled by a special cooling air
supply passage so that the consumption of cooling air may be
reduced, and the flow rate of air may be easily controlled.
[0013] To achieve the above object, in the present disclosure, a
cooling air supply passage, which is used for extracting air out of
a compressor of the gas turbine and diverting the air to the
outside, is formed outside the gas turbine rather than being formed
in a central shaft of the gas turbine. In addition, the vanes and
blades of the gas turbine are cooled by a special cooling air
supply passage.
[0014] Consequently, the overall consumption of cooling air may be
reduced, and the flow rate of air may be more easily
controlled.
[0015] Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure can
be understood by the following description, and become apparent
with reference to the embodiments of the present disclosure. Also,
it will be clear to those skilled in the art to which the present
disclosure pertains that the objects and advantages of the present
disclosure can be realized by the means as claimed and combinations
thereof.
[0016] In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a
gas turbine may include: a casing; a compressor disposed in the
casing and configured to draw air thereinto and compress the air to
a high pressure; a combustor configured to mix fuel with the air
compressed by the compressor and combust a mixture of the fuel and
the air; a turbine configured to rotate a plurality of turbine
blades using high-temperature and high-pressure combustion gas
discharged from the combustor and generate electricity; a plurality
of external cooling passages configured to extract air from
different positions of the compressor to an outside of the casing,
and supply cooling air to the turbine without having the cooling
air pass through a central shaft of the turbine; and an outlet
cooling passage configured to extract air from an outlet of the
compressor and supply cooling air to the turbine without having the
cooling air pass through the central shaft of the turbine.
[0017] In an embodiment, the turbine may include the plurality of
turbine blades, and a plurality of turbine vanes fixed to the
casing and arranged alternately with the turbine blades. The outlet
cooling passage may include an outlet-outside cooling passage
configured to extract air from the outlet of the compressor and
supply the air to the turbine vanes, and an outlet-inside cooling
passage configured to extract air from the outlet of the compressor
and supply the air to the turbine blades. The gas turbine may
further include at least one connection cooling passage configured
to couple and communicate cooling passages of a pair of turbine
blade and turbine vane that are disposed in at least one identical
stage among the turbine blades and the turbine vanes, with each
other.
[0018] In an embodiment, the outlet cooling passage may supply air
both to a first stage turbine vane of the plurality of turbine
vanes and to a first stage turbine blade of the plurality of
turbine blades. The plurality of external cooling passages may
supply air both to at least one turbine vane of the plurality of
turbine vanes other than the first stage turbine vane, and to at
least one of turbine blades of stages, in which the connection
cooling passage is not formed, among the plurality of turbine
blades other than the first stage turbine blade.
[0019] In an embodiment, the outlet cooling passage may include: an
outlet-outside cooling passage configured to supply air to the
first stage turbine vane; and an outlet-inside cooling passage
configured to supply air to the first stage turbine blade. The
plurality of external cooling passages may include: a first
external cooling passage configured to supply air to a fourth stage
turbine vane and a fourth stage turbine blade; a second external
cooling passage configured to supply air to a third stage turbine
vane; and a third external cooling passage configured to supply air
to a second stage turbine vane. The connection cooling passage may
be formed in each of the pairs of turbine blades and turbine vanes
of the second and third stages.
[0020] In an embodiment, the outlet cooling passage may supply air
both to a first stage turbine vane of the plurality of turbine
vanes and to first and second stage turbine blades of the plurality
of turbine blades. The plurality of external cooling passages may
supply air both to at least one turbine vane of the plurality of
turbine vanes other than the first stage turbine vane, and to at
least one of turbine blades of stages, in which the connection
cooling passage is not formed, among the plurality of turbine
blades other than the first and second stage turbine blades.
[0021] In an embodiment, the outlet cooling passage may include: an
outlet-outside cooling passage configured to supply air to the
first stage turbine vane; a first outlet-inside cooling passage
configured to supply air to the first stage turbine blade; and a
second outlet-inside cooling passage configured to supply air to
the second stage turbine blade. The plurality of external cooling
passages may include: a first external cooling passage configured
to supply air to a fourth stage turbine vane and a fourth stage
turbine blade; a second external cooling passage configured to
supply air to a third stage turbine vane; a third external cooling
passage configured to supply air to a second stage turbine vane.
The connection cooling passage may be formed in the pair of turbine
blade and turbine vane of the third stage.
[0022] In an embodiment, the plurality of external cooling passages
may extract air from the respective different positions of the
compressor, and, as a stage number of a turbine vane to which air
is to be supplied increases, a distance between the turbine and the
position at which the corresponding external cooling passage
extracts the air is increased.
[0023] In an embodiment, the gas turbine may further include a
cooling unit configured to cool air flowing through at least one
passage of the plurality of external cooling passages and the
outlet-inside cooling passage.
[0024] In an embodiment, the cooling unit may cool air flowing
through the respective passages to different temperatures.
[0025] In an embodiment, the cooling unit may include: a second
cooler disposed on the second external cooling passage; a third
cooler disposed on the third external cooling passage; and a fourth
cooler disposed on the outlet-inside cooling passage.
[0026] In an embodiment, the cooling unit may further include a
first cooler disposed on the first external cooling passage.
[0027] In an embodiment, at least one cooling air control valve may
be provided on an inlet or path of each of the plurality of
external cooling passages.
[0028] In an embodiment, at least one cooling air control valve may
be provided on an inlet or path of each of the outlet-outside
cooling passage and the external-inside cooling passage.
[0029] In an embodiment, the connection cooling passage may extend
through lower ends of the turbine blade and the turbine vane that
are disposed in an identical stage such that air is drawn into a
lower portion of the turbine blade.
[0030] In an embodiment, the outlet-inside cooling passage may be
formed through a lower end of the corresponding turbine blade such
that air is drawn into a lower portion of the corresponding turbine
blade.
[0031] In an embodiment, a pre-swirler may be provided at at least
one of a position of the first outlet-inside cooling passage at
which air is drawn into the lower portion of the corresponding
turbine blade and a position of the connection cooling passage at
which air is drawn into the lower portion of the corresponding
turbine blade.
[0032] In an embodiment, a sealing member may be provided at at
least one of a position of the first outlet-inside cooling passage
at which air is drawn into the lower portion of the corresponding
turbine blade and a position of the connection cooling passage at
which air is drawn into the lower portion of the corresponding
turbine blade.
[0033] In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure,
a method of cooling a gas turbine including a casing, and a
compressor, a combustor, and a turbine which are disposed in the
casing may include: an external cooling air supply operation of
extracting air from different positions of the compressor to an
outside of the casing, and supply the air to the turbine; and an
outlet cooling air supply operation of extracting air from an
outlet of the compressor and supplying the air to the turbine.
[0034] In an embodiment, air supplied in the external cooling air
supply operation may simultaneously cool a pair of turbine blade
and turbine vane of the turbine that are disposed in at least one
identical stage.
[0035] In an embodiment, the external cooling air supply operation
may include a flow rate control operation of controlling a flow
rate of cooling air using at least one cooling air control valve
provided on an inlet or path of each of the plurality of external
cooling passages for extracting air from the different positions of
the compressor to the outside of the casing and supplying the air
to the turbine.
[0036] As described above, according to a gas turbine including an
external cooling system and a method of cooling the gas turbine in
accordance with the present disclosure, a cooling air supply
passage of extracting air out of a compressor of the gas turbine
and diverting the air to the outside is formed, and the vanes and
blades of the gas turbine are cooled by a single cooling air supply
passage. Consequently, the consumption of cooling air may be
reduced, and the flow rate of cooling air by the blades/vanes of
the turbine may be easily controlled.
[0037] Furthermore, air of a plurality of external cooling passages
and outlet-inside cooling passages may be cooled to different
temperatures by a plurality of coolers before being supplied to the
turbine.
[0038] In addition, a pre-swirler and a sealing structure may be
applied to each turbine blade stage of the turbine, whereby the
cooling effect may be enhanced.
[0039] Ultimately, the design points and partial load performance
of the gas turbine may be improved.
[0040] The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the
above-mentioned effects, and it should be understood that the
effects of the present disclosure include all effects that can be
inferred from the configuration of the invention described in the
detailed description of the present disclosure or the appended
claims.
[0041] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general
description and the following detailed description of the present
disclosure are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to
provide further explanation of the disclosure as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0042] The above and other objects, features and other advantages
of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the
following detailed description taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0043] FIG. 1 is a sectional view illustrating a schematic
structure of a gas turbine in accordance with an embodiment of the
present disclosure;
[0044] FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view illustrating an external
cooling system in accordance with a first embodiment of the gas
turbine of FIG. 1;
[0045] FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view illustrating an external
cooling system in accordance with a second embodiment of the gas
turbine of FIG. 1;
[0046] FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating a portion
of an internal structure of the gas turbine of FIG. 1; and
[0047] FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating
pre-swirlers of FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0048] Hereinafter, various embodiments of a gas turbine including
an external cooling system and a method of cooling the gas turbine
in accordance with the present disclosure will be described with
reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.
[0049] Furthermore, the terms used in the following description are
defined considering the functions of the present disclosure and may
vary depending on the intention or usual practice of a user or
operator. The following embodiments are only examples of the
contents proposed in the claims of the present disclosure rather
than limiting the bounds of the present disclosure.
[0050] In the drawings, portions which are not related to the
present disclosure will be omitted to explain the present
disclosure more clearly. Reference should be made to the drawings,
in which similar reference numerals are used throughout the
different drawings to designate similar components. In addition,
when an element is referred to as "comprising" or "including" a
component, it does not preclude another component but may further
include the other component unless the context clearly indicates
otherwise.
[0051] FIG. 1 is a sectional view illustrating a schematic
structure of a gas turbine in accordance with an embodiment of the
present disclosure, FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view illustrating
an external cooling system in accordance with a first embodiment of
the gas turbine of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view
illustrating an external cooling system in accordance with a second
embodiment of the gas turbine of FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is an enlarged
sectional view illustrating a portion of an internal structure of
the gas turbine of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective
view illustrating pre-swirlers of FIG. 4.
[0052] Hereinafter, a gas turbine in accordance with an embodiment
of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG.
1.
[0053] The gas turbine 1 in accordance with the embodiment of the
present disclosure may chiefly include a casing 100, a compressor
200 disposed in the casing 100 and configured to draw air thereinto
and compress the air to a high pressure, a plurality of combustors
300 configured to mix fuel with air compressed by the compressor
200 and combust the mixture, and a turbine 400 configured to rotate
a plurality of turbine blades using the high-temperature and
high-pressure combustion gas discharged from the combustors 300 and
thus generate electricity.
[0054] The casing 100 may include a compressor casing 102 which
houses the compressor 200 therein, a combustor casing 103 which
houses the combustors 300 therein, and a turbine casing 104 which
houses the turbine 400 therein. However, the present disclosure is
not limited to this. For example, the compressor casing 102, the
combustor casing 103, and the turbine casing 104 may be integrated
with each other.
[0055] The compressor casing 102, the combustor casing 103, and the
turbine casing 104 may be successively arranged from an upstream
side to a downstream side in a fluid flow direction.
[0056] A rotor (central shaft; 50) may be rotatably provided in the
casing 100. A generator (not shown) for generating electricity may
be interlocked with the rotor 50. A diffuser may be provided at the
downstream side of the casing 100 so that combustion gas that has
passed through the turbine 400 is discharged to the outside through
the diffuser.
[0057] The rotor 50 may include a compressor rotor disk 52, a
turbine rotor disk 54, a torque tube 53, a tie rod 55, and a
fastening nut 56. The compressor rotor disk 52 may be housed in the
compressor casing 102. The turbine rotor disk 54 may be housed in
the turbine casing 104. The torque tube 53 may be housed in the
combustor casing 103 and couple the compressor rotor disk 52 with
the turbine rotor disk 54. The tie rod 550 and the fastening nut
560 may couple the compressor rotor disk 520, the torque tube 530,
and the turbine rotor disk 540 with each other.
[0058] In the embodiment, a plurality of (e.g., fourteen sheets of)
compressor rotor disks 52 may be provided. The plurality of
compressor rotor disks 52 may be arranged along an axial direction
of the rotor 50. In other words, the compressor rotor disks 52 may
form a multi-stage structure.
[0059] Each of the compressor rotor disks 52 may have an
approximately circular plate shape, and include in an outer
circumferential surface thereof a compressor blade coupling slot
through which a compressor blade 220 to be described later herein
is coupled to the compressor rotor disk 520.
[0060] The turbine rotor disk 54 may be formed in a manner similar
to that of the compressor rotor disk 52. In other words, a
plurality of turbine rotor disks 54 may be provided. The plurality
of turbine rotor disks 54 may be arranged along the axial direction
of the rotor 50. In other words, the turbine rotor disks 54 may
form a multi-stage structure.
[0061] Furthermore, each of the turbine rotor disks 54 may have an
approximately circular plate shape, and include in an outer
circumferential surface thereof a turbine blade coupling slot
through which a turbine blade 420 to be described later herein is
coupled to the turbine rotor disk 540.
[0062] The torque tube 53 may be a torque transmission member
configured to transmit the rotating force of the turbine rotor
disks 54 to the compressor rotor disks 52. One end of the torque
tube 530 may be coupled to one of the plurality of compressor rotor
disks 52 that is disposed at the most downstream end with respect
to an air flow direction. The other end of the torque tube 530 may
be coupled to one of the plurality of turbine rotor disks 54 that
is disposed at the most upstream end with respect to a combustion
gas flow direction. Here, a protrusion may be provided on each of
the one and other ends of the torque tube 53. A depression to
engage with the corresponding protrusion may be formed in each of
the associated compressor rotor disk 52 and the associated turbine
rotor disk 54. Thereby, the torque tube 53 may be prevented from
rotating relative to the compressor rotor disk 52 or the turbine
rotor disk 54.
[0063] The torque tube 53 may have a hollow cylindrical shape to
allow air supplied from the compressor 200 to flow into the turbine
400 via the torque tube 53.
[0064] Taking into account the characteristics of the gas turbine
that is continuously operated for a long period of time, the torque
tube 53 may be formed to resist to deformation, distortion, etc.,
and designed to be easily assembled or disassembled to facilitate
maintenance.
[0065] The tie rod 55 may be provided to pass through the plurality
of compressor rotor disks 52, the torque tube 53, and the plurality
of turbine rotor disks 54. One end of the tie rod 550 may be
coupled in one of the plurality of compressor rotor disks 52 that
is disposed at the most upstream end with respect to the air flow
direction. The other end of the tie rod 55 may protrude, in a
direction opposite to the compressor 200, based on one of the
plurality of turbine rotor disks 54 that is disposed at the most
downstream end with respect to the combustion gas flow direction,
and may be coupled to the fastening nut 56.
[0066] Here, the fastening nut 56 may compress, toward the
compressor 200, the turbine rotor disk 54 that is disposed at the
most downstream end. Thus, as the distance between the compressor
rotor disk 52 that is disposed at the most upstream end and the
turbine rotor disk 54 that is disposed at the most downstream end
is reduced, the plurality of compressor rotor disks 52, the torque
tube 53, and the plurality of turbine rotor disks 54 may be
compressed in the axial direction of the rotor 50. Consequently,
the plurality of compressor rotor disks 52, the torque tube 53, and
the plurality of turbine rotor disks 54 may be prevented from
moving in the axial direction or rotating relative to each
other.
[0067] In the present embodiment, the single tie rod is illustrated
as being provided to pass through the central portions of the
plurality of compressor rotor disks, the torque tube, and the
plurality of turbine rotor disks. However, the present disclosure
is not limited to this. For example, separate tie rods may be
respectively provided in a compressor side and a turbine side, a
plurality of tie rods may be arranged along a circumferential
direction, or a combination thereof is also possible.
[0068] In accordance with the above-mentioned configuration,
opposite ends of the rotor 50 may be rotatably supported by
bearings, and one end thereof may be coupled to a driving shaft of
the generator.
[0069] The compressor 200 may include a compressor blade 220 which
rotates along with the rotor 50, and a compressor vane 240 which is
fixed in the casing 100 and configured to align the flow of air
drawn to the compressor blade 220.
[0070] In this embodiment, a plurality of compressor blades 220 may
be provided. The plurality of compressor blades 220 may form a
multi-stage structure along the axial direction of the rotor 50. A
plurality of compressor blades 220 may be provided in each stage,
and may be radially formed and arranged along a rotation direction
of the rotor 50.
[0071] In other words, a root part 222 of each of the compressor
blades 222 is coupled to a compressor blade coupling slot of the
corresponding compressor rotor disk 52. The root part 222 may have
a fir-tree shape to prevent the compressor blade 220 from being
undesirably removed from the compressor blade coupling slot in a
rotational radial direction of the rotor 50.
[0072] Likewise, the compressor blade coupling slot may also have a
fir-tree shape to correspond to the root part 222 of the compressor
blade 220.
[0073] In the present embodiment, each of the compressor blade root
part 222 and the compressor blade coupling slot is described as
having a fir-tree shape, but the present disclosure is not limited
thereto, and, for example, each may have a dovetail shape or the
like. Alternatively, the compressor blade may be coupled to the
compressor rotor disk by using a separate coupling device, e.g., a
fastener such as a key or a bolt, other than the above-mentioned
coupling scheme.
[0074] Here, the compressor rotor disk 52 and the compressor blade
220 are generally coupled to each other in a tangential type or an
axial type scheme. The present embodiment employs a so-called axial
type scheme in which the compressor blade root part 222 is inserted
into the compressor blade coupling slot along the axial direction
of the rotor 50, as described above. In the present embodiment, a
plurality of compressor blade coupling slots may be formed. The
plurality of compressor blade coupling slots may be arranged along
a circumferential direction of the compressor rotor disk 52.
[0075] In this embodiment, a plurality of compressor vanes 240 may
be provided. The plurality of compressor vanes 240 may form a
multi-stage structure along the axial direction of the rotor 50.
Here, the compressor vanes 240 and the compressor blades 220 may be
alternately arranged along the air flow direction.
[0076] Furthermore, a plurality of compressor vanes 240 may be
provided in each stage, and may be radially formed and arranged
along the rotation direction of the rotor 50.
[0077] The combustor 300 functions to mix air supplied from the
compressor 200 with fuel and combust the fuel mixture to generate
high-temperature and high-pressure combustion gas having high
energy, and may be configured to increase the temperature of the
combustion gas to a heat resistance limit within which the
combustor 300 and the turbine can resist heat in an isobaric
combustion process.
[0078] Here, a plurality of combustors 300 may be provided. The
plurality of combustors 300 may be arranged in the combustor casing
along the rotation direction of the rotor 50.
[0079] Each of the combustors 300 may include a liner into which
air compressed by the compressor 200 is drawn, a burner configured
to inject fuel to the air drawn into the liner and combust the fuel
mixture, and a transition piece configured to guide combustion gas
generated by the burner to the turbine.
[0080] The liner may include a flame tube which defines a
combustion chamber, and a flow sleeve which encloses the flame tube
and forms an annular space.
[0081] The burner may includes a fuel injection nozzle provided on
a front end side of the liner to inject fuel to air drawn into the
combustion chamber, and an ignition plug provided in a sidewall of
the liner to ignite the fuel mixture formed by mixing the fuel with
the air in the combustion chamber.
[0082] The transition piece may be configured such that an outer
sidewall of the transition piece can be cooled by air supplied from
the compressor so as to prevent the transition piece from being
damaged by high-temperature combustion gas.
[0083] Here, a cooling hole is formed in the transition piece so
that air can be injected into the transition piece through the
cooling hole so as to cool a main body of the transition piece.
[0084] On the one hand, air used to cool the transition piece may
flow into the annular space of the liner, and collides with air
provided as cooling air from the outside of the flow sleeve through
a cooling hole formed in the flow sleeve that forms the outer
sidewall of the liner.
[0085] Although not shown, a so-called deswirler that functions as
a guide vane may be provided between the compressor 200 and the
combustor 300 so as to adjust a flow angle at which air is drawn
into the combustor 300, to a design flow angle.
[0086] The turbine 400 may be formed in a manner similar to that of
the compressor 200.
[0087] Here, the turbine 400 may include the turbine blade 420
which rotates along with the rotor 50, and a turbine vane 440 which
is fixed in the casing 100 and configured to align the flow of
combustion gas to be drawn onto the turbine blade 420.
[0088] In this embodiment, a plurality of turbine blades 420 may be
provided. The plurality of turbine blades 420 may form a
multi-stage structure along the axial direction of the rotor 50. In
the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the turbine blades 420 may form
a 4-stage structure, in which a first stage turbine blade 424, a
second stage turbine blade 425, a third stage turbine blade 426,
and a fourth stage turbine blade 427 are arranged in sequence from
the upstream side to the downstream side along the axial direction
of the rotor 50. However, the present disclosure is not limited to
this. For example, the number of stages of turbine blades may be
less than or greater than four. Furthermore, in each stage, a
plurality of turbine blades 420 may be radially formed and arranged
along the rotation direction of the rotor 50.
[0089] In other words, a root part 422 of each of the turbine
blades 420 is coupled to a turbine blade coupling slot of the
corresponding turbine rotor disk 54. The root part 422 may have a
fir-tree shape to prevent the turbine blade 420 from being
undesirably removed from the turbine blade coupling slot in a
rotational radial direction of the rotor 50.
[0090] Likewise, the turbine blade coupling slot may also have a
fir-tree shape to correspond to the root part 422 of the turbine
blade 420.
[0091] In the present embodiment, each of the turbine blade root
part 422 and the turbine blade coupling slots are described as
having a fir-tree shape, but the present disclosure is not limited
thereto, and, for example, each may have a dovetail shape or the
like. Alternatively, the turbine blade may be coupled to the
turbine rotor disk by using a separate coupling device, e.g., a
fastener such as a key or a bolt, other than the above-mentioned
coupling scheme.
[0092] Here, the turbine rotor disk 54 and the turbine blade 420
are generally coupled to each other in a tangential type or an
axial type scheme. The present embodiment employs a so-called axial
type scheme in which the turbine blade root part 422 is inserted
into the turbine blade coupling slot in the axial direction of the
rotor 50, as described above. Accordingly, in the present
embodiment, a plurality of turbine blade coupling slots may be
formed. The plurality of turbine blade coupling slots may be
arranged along a circumferential direction of the turbine rotor
disk 54.
[0093] In this embodiment, a plurality of turbine vanes 440 may be
provided. The plurality of turbine vanes 440 may form a multi-stage
structure along the axial direction of the rotor 50. Here, the
turbine vanes 440 and the turbine blades 420 may be alternately
arranged along the air flow direction.
[0094] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, since the
turbine blades 420 may form the 4-stage structure, the turbine
vanes 440 may also form a 4-stage structure, in which a first stage
turbine vane 444, a second stage turbine vane 445, a third stage
turbine vane 446, and a fourth stage turbine vane 447 are arranged
in sequence from the upstream side to the downstream side along the
axial direction of the rotor 50 and are disposed in front (at the
upstream side) of the respective stages of the turbine blades.
However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For
example, the number of stages of turbine vanes may be less than or
greater than four.
[0095] Furthermore, a plurality of turbine vanes 440 may be
provided in each stage, and may be radially formed and arranged
along the rotation direction of the rotor 50.
[0096] Here, unlike the compressor 200, the turbine 400 makes
contact with high-temperature and high-pressure combustion gas.
Hence, the turbine 400 requires a cooling unit for preventing
damage such as thermal deterioration.
[0097] Therefore, the gas turbine in accordance with the present
embodiment includes an external cooling system of extracting
compressed air from some portions of the compressor 200 to the
outside of the casing 100 and supplying the compressed air (cooling
air) to the turbine 400, particularly without passing the cooling
air through the interior of the rotor 50. Detailed descriptions
pertaining to this will be made later herein.
[0098] In the gas turbine 1 having the above-mentioned
configuration, air drawn into the casing 100 is compressed by the
compressor 200. The air compressed by the compressor 200 is mixed
with fuel by the combustors 300, and the fuel mixture is combusted
by the combustors 300, so that combustion gas is generated. The
combustion gas generated by the combustors 300 is drawn into the
turbine 400. The combustion gas drawn into the turbine 400 passes
through the turbine blades 420 and thus rotates the rotor 50,
before being discharged to the atmosphere through the diffuser. The
rotor 50 that is rotated by the combustion gas may drive the
compressor 200 and the generator. In other words, some of
mechanical energy obtained from the turbine 400 may be supplied as
energy needed for the compressor 200 to compress air, and the other
mechanical energy may be used to produce electricity in the
generator.
[0099] Here, the above-described gas turbine is only an embodiment
of the present disclosure, and the external cooling system
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which will be
described in detail later herein, may be applied to all general gas
turbines.
[0100] Hereinafter, the external cooling system in accordance with
an embodiment of the present disclosure which may be applied to a
gas turbine will be described.
[0101] The external cooling system in accordance with the present
disclosure chiefly includes a plurality of external cooling
passages 500, an outlet cooling passage 600, and at least one
connection cooling passage 700. The plurality of external cooling
passages 500 are configured to extract air from different positions
of the compressor 200 to the outside of the casing 100 and supply
the air to the turbine 400. The outlet cooling passage 600 is
configured to extract air out of an outlet of the compressor 200
and supply the air to the turbine 400. The at least one connection
cooling passage 700 couples the cooling passages of a pair of
turbine blade 420 and turbine vane 440 disposed in at least the
same stage so that the cooling passages communicate with each
other.
[0102] Hereinafter, descriptions will be made based on the external
cooling system for cooling the turbine vanes 440 and the turbine
blades 420 that form a 4-stage structure, as described above.
However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For
example, the present disclosure may also be applied to a structure
for cooling turbine vanes and turbine blades of which the number of
stages is less or greater than four.
[0103] First, an external cooling system in accordance with a first
embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with
reference to FIG. 2. The outlet cooling passage 600 supplies air
both to the first stage turbine vane 444 of the plurality of
turbine vanes 440 and to the first stage turbine blade 424 of the
plurality of turbine blades 420. In other words, the outlet cooling
passage 600 includes an outlet-outside cooling passage 620 for
supplying air to the first stage turbine vane 444, and a first
outlet-inside cooling passage 640 for supplying air to the first
stage turbine blade 424.
[0104] Here, the outlet-outside cooling passage 620 may extract
compressed air from the outlet of the compressor 200 to the outside
of the casing 100 and directly supply the compressed air to the
first stage turbine vane 444. The first outlet-inside cooling
passage 640 may be formed through a lower end of the first stage
turbine blade 424 such that compressed air is extracted from the
outlet of the compressor 200 into the inside of the casing 100 and
supplied into a lower portion of the first stage turbine blade
424.
[0105] Therefore, compressed air may be supplied from the outlet of
the compressor 200 to the first stage turbine vane 444 and the
first stage turbine blade 424, whereby the turbine vane and the
turbine blade may be cooled.
[0106] Here, although air that is supplied through the
outlet-outside cooling passage 620 has been described as being
directly supplied to the first stage turbine vane 444 without any
separate heat exchange, a separate fourth cooler 840 may be
disposed at the first outlet-inside cooling passage 640, whereby
the first stage turbine blade 424 may be more efficiently cooled by
cooling the air that is supplied through the outlet-outside cooling
passage 620.
[0107] Furthermore, at least one or more cooling air control valves
may be provided at inlets or paths of the outlet-outside cooling
passage 620 and the first outlet-inside cooling passage 640. In the
present embodiment, one cooling air control valve 622 or 642 is
installed at each of the outlet-outside cooling passage 620 and the
first outlet-inside cooling passage 640.
[0108] Consequently, the flow rate of cooling air to be supplied to
the first stage turbine vane 444 and the first stage turbine blade
424 may be easily controlled.
[0109] A plurality of external cooling passages 500 may supply air
both to at least one turbine vane of the plurality of turbine vanes
440 other than the first stage turbine vane 444, and to at least
one of turbine blades of stages, in which the connection cooling
passage 700 is not formed, among the plurality of turbine blades
420 other than the first stage turbine blade 424.
[0110] In more detail, in the present embodiment, the plurality of
external cooling passages 500 may supply air to the second stage
turbine vane 445, the third stage turbine vane 446, and the fourth
stage turbine vane 447 other than the first stage turbine vane 444.
In addition, connection cooling passages 700 are respectively
formed on pairs of turbine blades and turbine vanes of second and
third stages, as described below. Hence, the plurality of external
cooling passages 500 may be configured to supply air to the fourth
stage turbine blade 427, in which the connection cooling passage
700 is not formed, among the turbine blades other than the first
stage turbine blade 424.
[0111] In other words, the plurality of external cooling passages
500 may include a first external cooling passage 510 for supplying
air to the fourth stage turbine vane 447 and the fourth stage
turbine blade 427, a second external cooling passage 520 for
supplying air to the third stage turbine vane 446, and a third
external cooling passage 530 for supplying air to the second stage
turbine vane 445.
[0112] Here, the first to third external cooling passages 510, 520,
and 530 may be extended from respective different positions of the
compressor 200, and the positions at which the first to third
external cooling passages 510, 520, and 530 are extended from the
compressor 200 may be arranged in succession from a position
distant from the turbine 400 to a position near thereto.
[0113] In other words, the compressor 200 may be divided into a
front stage compressor, a middle stage compressor, and a rear stage
compressor in a sequence from a position distant from the turbine
400 to a position near thereto. The first to third external cooling
passages 510, 520, and 530 may be respectively extended from the
front, middle, and rear stage compressors.
[0114] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, although the cooling
passage for supplying air to the fourth stage turbine vane 447 and
the fourth stage turbine blade 427 has been illustrated as
diverging from the single external cooling passage 510 into two
passages, it is not limited thereto. For example, separate cooling
passages may be used.
[0115] As described above, the plurality of external cooling
passages 500 and the outlet cooling passage 600 are coupled to
internal cooling passages of the turbine blades or the turbine
vanes, to which cooling air is to be supplied, so that the
plurality of external cooling passages 500 and the outlet cooling
passage 600 communicate with film cooling holes formed the surfaces
of the turbine blades and the turbine vanes. Thus, cooling air
supplied through the cooling passages may be provided evenly to the
surfaces of the turbine blades or the turbine vales, whereby the
turbine blades or the turbine vanes may be cooled in a so-called
film-cooling manner by the cooling air.
[0116] Here, the connection cooling passage 700 may be formed to
cool, using cooling air supplied to the turbine vane 440, the
turbine blade 420 disposed at the same stage as that of the turbine
vane 440, i.e., the turbine blade 420 disposed at the rear of the
turbine vane 440. The connection cooling passage 700 makes it
possible for the cooling passages of the turbine blade and the
turbine vane disposed at the same stage to form one cooling circuit
and communicated with each other.
[0117] In the present embodiment, the connection cooling passage
700 is formed in each of the second and third stages, and includes
a first connection cooling passage 710 which connects the cooling
passages of the second stage turbine vane 445 and the second stage
turbine blade 425 with each other into one passage, and a second
connection cooling passage 720 which connects the cooling passages
of the third stage turbine vane 446 and the third stage turbine
blade 426 with each other into one passage.
[0118] The connection cooling passage 700 may extend through the
lower ends of the turbine blade 420 and the turbine vane 440 that
are disposed at the same stage so that air is drawn into the lower
portion of the turbine blade 420.
[0119] In more detail, the connection cooling passage 700 may be
formed such that cooling air supplied into the turbine vane 440
flows to the lower end of the turbine vane 440, is stored in a
U-ring space formed in the lower end of the turbine vane 440 or in
a space between the turbine rotor disks 54, and then flows to an
upper end of the turbine blade 420 disposed at the same stage
through the lower end of the turbine blade 420, i.e., through the
root part 422 of the turbine blade.
[0120] Hence, even when cooling air is supplied to only the third
stage turbine vane 446 and the second stage turbine vane 445
through the second external cooling passage 520 and the third
external cooling passage 530, respectively, the third stage turbine
blade 426 and the second stage turbine blade 425 may also be cooled
at one time through the second connection cooling passage 720 and
the first connection cooling passage 710.
[0121] Furthermore, a second cooler 820 and a third cooler 830 may
be respectively disposed on the second external cooling passage 520
and the third external cooling passage 530 so as to cool air that
is supplied through the cooling passages, whereby the turbine blade
and the turbine vane can be more efficiently cooled.
[0122] In addition, a first cooler 810 may also be disposed on the
first external cooling passage 510 so as to cool air that is
supplied through the cooling passage, whereby the turbine blade and
the turbine vane can be more efficiently cooled.
[0123] However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For
example, the first cooler may be omitted.
[0124] The first to fourth coolers 810, 820, 830, and 840 may cool
air flowing through the respective cooling passages to different
temperatures. In other words, depending on the temperature of the
turbine blade 420 or the turbine vane 440 to which cooling air is
to be supplied through the corresponding cooling passage, the
cooling air may be cooled to an appropriate temperature before
being supplied to the turbine blade 420 or the turbine vane 440,
whereby the efficiency may be enhanced.
[0125] Furthermore, at least one or more cooling air control valves
may be provided on inlets or paths of the first to third external
cooling passages 510, 520, and 530. In the present embodiment, one
cooling air control valve 512, 522, 532 is installed on each of the
first to third external cooling passages 510, 520, and 530.
[0126] Consequently, the flow rate of cooling air to be supplied to
the turbine blade and the turbine vane of each stage may be easily
controlled. A sensor is provided in the generator or other
apparatus that is part of or related to the gas turbine, and the
temperature of each apparatus may be determined using the sensor.
Based on the temperature of the apparatus, the supply rate of
cooling air may be controlled.
[0127] Furthermore, pre-swirlers 920 may be respectively provided
at a position of the first outlet-inside cooling passage 640 at
which air is drawn into the lower portion of the first stage
turbine blade 424 and at a position of the connection cooling
passage 700 at which air is drawn into the lower portions of the
second stage turbine blade 425 and the third stage turbine blade
426.
[0128] However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. The
pre-swirler 920 may be provided in only at least one of the
positions at which air is drawn into the lower portions of the
first to third stage turbine blades 424 to 426.
[0129] In FIG. 4, there is illustrated the pre-swirler 920 disposed
at a position of the first outlet-inside cooling passage 640 at
which air is drawn into the lower portion of the first stage
turbine blade 424. The position at which the pre-swirler 920 is
disposed or the structures of the first outlet-inside cooling
passage 640 and the other components may be changed depending on
the type of gas turbine.
[0130] As shown in FIG. 5, the pre-swirler 920 may be configured in
the form of a plurality of airfoils or holes, and may function to
swirl air that is linearly drawn toward the turbine blade 420.
Thereby, the cooling effect may be enhanced.
[0131] Furthermore, sealing members 940 (shown in FIG. 4) may be
respectively provided at a position of the first outlet-inside
cooling passage 640 at which air is drawn into the lower portion of
the first stage turbine blade 424 and at a position of the
connection cooling passage 700 at which air is drawn into the lower
portions of the second stage turbine blade 425 and the third stage
turbine blade 426.
[0132] However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. The
sealing members 940 may be provided in only at least one of the
positions at which air is drawn into the lower portions of the
first to third stage turbine blades 424 to 426.
[0133] In FIG. 4, there is illustrated the sealing members 940
disposed at positions of the first outlet-inside cooling passage
640 at which air is drawn into the lower portion of the first stage
turbine blade 424. The position at which the sealing member 940 is
disposed or the structures of the first outlet-inside cooling
passage 640 and the other components may be changed depending on
the type of gas turbine.
[0134] The sealing members 940 function to prevent cooling air from
flowing through unnecessary passages such that cooling passages may
be formed to be suitable for each configuration type of the present
disclosure.
[0135] Here, each sealing member 940 may be formed in various ways,
e.g., using a labyrinth seal, or a brush seal, so long as it can be
used as a member for sealing.
[0136] Next, an external cooling system in accordance with a second
embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with
reference to FIG. 3. The external cooling system in accordance with
the second embodiment of the present disclosure is only partially
different from the external cooling system in accordance with the
first embodiment, and the other configuration and effect thereof
remain the same as those of the external cooling system in
accordance with the first embodiment. The differences from the
first embodiment is that the outlet cooling passage 600 supplies
air to the first stage turbine vane 444 of the plurality of turbine
vanes 440 and to the first stage turbine blade 424 and the second
stage turbine blade 425 of the plurality of turbine blades 420, and
the connection cooling passage 700 is formed in only the third
stage without being formed in the second stage. The following
description will be focused on the differences.
[0137] In the present embodiment, the outlet cooling passage 600
may supply air to the first stage turbine vane 444 of the plurality
of turbine vanes 440 and to the first stage turbine blade 424 and
the second stage turbine blade 425 of the plurality of turbine
blades 420. In other words, the outlet cooling passage 600 includes
an outlet-outside cooling passage 620 for supplying air to the
first stage turbine vane 444, a first outlet-inside cooling passage
640 for supplying air to the first stage turbine blade 424, and a
second outlet-inside cooling passage 660 for supplying air to the
second stage turbine blade 425.
[0138] The outlet-outside cooling passage 620 and the first
outlet-inside cooling passage 640 are the same as those of the
first embodiment. As shown in the present embodiment, the second
outlet-inside cooling passage 660 may diverge and extend from the
first outlet-inside cooling passage 640, but it is not limited
thereto. For example, the first outlet-inside cooling passage 640
and the second outlet-inside cooling passage 660 may be separately
provided to form different extraction lines extending from the
outlet of the compressor 200.
[0139] Here, in the same manner as the first outlet-inside cooling
passage 640 that is formed through the lower end of the first stage
turbine blade 424 such that compressed air is extracted from the
outlet of the compressor 200 into the casing 100 and drawn into the
lower portion of the first stage turbine blade 424, the second
outlet-inside cooling passage 660 may also be formed through the
lower portion of the second stage turbine blade 425.
[0140] Therefore, compressed air may be supplied from the outlet of
the compressor 200 to the first stage turbine vane 444, the first
stage turbine blade 424, and the second stage turbine blade 425,
whereby the turbine vane and the turbine blades may be cooled.
[0141] In the present embodiment, one cooling air control valve
622, 642, or 662 may be respectively installed on each of the
outlet-outside cooling passage 620, the first outlet-inside cooling
passage 640, and the second outlet-inside cooling passage 660.
[0142] Consequently, the flow rate of cooling air to be supplied to
the first stage turbine vane 444, the first stage turbine blade
424, and the second stage turbine blade 425 may be easily
controlled.
[0143] In the present embodiment, in the same manner as the first
embodiment, the plurality of external cooling passages 500 may
include a first external cooling passage 510 for supplying air to
the fourth stage turbine vane 447 and the fourth stage turbine
blade 427, a second external cooling passage 520 for supplying air
to the third stage turbine vane 446, and a third external cooling
passage 530 for supplying air to the second stage turbine vane
445.
[0144] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the connection
cooling passage 700 is formed in only the third stage without being
formed in the second stage. In other words, only the second
connection cooling passage 720 that connects the cooling passages
of the third stage turbine vane 446 and the third stage turbine
blade 426 with each other into one passage is formed, and the
second stage turbine blade 425 is supplied with cooling air by the
second outlet-inside cooling passage 660. Therefore, even when the
connection cooling passage 700 is formed in only the third stage,
cooling air may be supplied to all of the turbine blades and the
turbine vanes that form the 4-stage structure.
[0145] Furthermore, pre-swirlers may be respectively provided at
positions of the first outlet-inside cooling passage 640 and the
second outlet-inside cooling passage 660 at which air is drawn into
the lower portions of the first stage turbine blade 424 and the
second stage turbine blade 425, and at a position of the second
connection cooling passage 720 at which air is drawn into the lower
portion of the third stage turbine blade 426.
[0146] Furthermore, sealing members may be respectively provided at
positions of the first outlet-inside cooling passage 640 and the
second outlet-inside cooling passage 660 at which air is drawn into
the lower portions of the first stage turbine blade 424 and the
second stage turbine blade 425, and at a position of the second
connection cooling passage 720 at which air is drawn into the lower
portion of the third stage turbine blade 426.
[0147] On the one hand, a method of cooling the gas turbine
including a casing 100, and a compressor 200, a combustor 300, and
a turbine 400 which are disposed in the casing 100 in accordance
with an embodiment of the present disclosure may include an
external cooling air supply operation of extracting air from
different positions of the compressor 200 to the outside of the
casing 100 and supplying the air to the turbine 400, and an outlet
cooling air supply operation of extracting air from the compressor
200 and supplying the air to the turbine 400.
[0148] Here, the air supplied in the external cooling air supply
operation may simultaneously cool a pair of turbine blade 420 and
turbine vane 440 of the turbine that are disposed in at least one
same stage.
[0149] In other words, based on the external cooling system in
accordance with the first embodiment, the external cooling air
supply operation may be an operation of supplying cooling air to
the second to fourth stage turbine vanes 445, 446, and 447 and the
fourth stage turbine blade 427 through the first to third external
cooling passages 510, 520, and 530.
[0150] Furthermore, the outlet cooling air supply operation may be
an operation of supplying cooling air to the first stage turbine
vane 444 and the first stage turbine blade 424 through the
outlet-outside cooling passage 620 and the first outlet-inside
cooling passage 640, respectively.
[0151] Here, the air that is supplied in the external cooling air
supply operation may also simultaneously cool the pairs of turbine
blades and turbine vanes of the second and third stages through the
first connection cooling passage 710 and the second connection
cooling passage 720 that are respectively formed in the second and
third stages.
[0152] In other words, cooling air supplied to the second stage
turbine vane 445 by the third external cooling passage 530 may flow
to the second stage turbine blade 425 through the first connection
cooling passage 710 and cool the second stage turbine vane 445 and
the second stage turbine blade 425. Cooling air supplied to the
third stage turbine vane 446 by the second external cooling passage
520 may flow to the third stage turbine blade 426 through the
second connection cooling passage 720 and cool the third stage
turbine vane 446 and the third stage turbine blade 426.
[0153] Furthermore, the external cooling air supply operation may
include a flow rate control operation of controlling the flow rate
of cooling air using at least one or more cooling air control
valves provided on inlets or paths of the plurality of external
cooling passages for extracting air from different positions of the
compressor 200 to the outside of the casing 100 and supplying the
air to the turbine.
[0154] In other words, in the flow rate control operation, the flow
rate of cooling air may be controlled by the single cooling air
control valves 512, 522, and 532 that are respectively installed on
the first to third external cooling passages 510, 520, and 530.
[0155] Consequently, the flow rate of cooling air to be supplied to
the turbine blade and the turbine vane of each stage may be easily
controlled. By the sensor provided in the generator or other
apparatus in or related to the gas turbine, the temperature of each
apparatus may be determined. Based on the temperature of the
apparatus, the supply rate of cooling air may be controlled.
[0156] Furthermore, the flow rates of cooling air to be supplied to
the first stage turbine vane 444 and the first stage turbine blade
424 may also be easily controlled by the single cooling air control
valves 622 and 642 that are respectively installed on the
outlet-outside cooling passage 620 and the first outlet-inside
cooling passage 640.
[0157] According to the gas turbine including the external cooling
system and the method of cooling the gas turbine in accordance with
the present disclosure, the cooling air supply passage of drawing
air out of the compressor 200 of the gas turbine and diverting the
air to the outside is employed, and the vanes and the blades of the
turbine 400 are cooled by such cooling air supply passage.
Consequently, the consumption of cooling air may be reduced while
cooling effect is maintained, and the flow rate of cooling air by
blades/vanes of the turbine may be more easily controlled.
[0158] Furthermore, air of the plurality of external cooling
passages and the outlet-inside cooling passages may be cooled to
different temperatures by the plurality of coolers before being
supplied to the turbine.
[0159] In addition, a pre-swirler and a sealing structure may be
applied to each turbine blade stage of the turbine, whereby the
cooling effect may be enhanced.
[0160] Ultimately, various structure and partial load performance
of the gas turbine may be improved.
[0161] While the present disclosure has been described with respect
to the specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled
in the art that various changes and modifications may be made
without departing from the scope of the disclosure as defined in
the following claims.
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